pe·lag·ic (p -l j  k)adj. Of, relating to, or living in open oceans or seas rather than waters adjacent to land or inland waters: pelagic birds. [Latin pelagicus, from Greek pelagikos, from pelagos, sea; see pl  k-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
pelagic [pɛˈlædʒɪk]
adj
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) of or relating to the open sea pelagic whaling
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) (of marine life) living or occurring in the upper waters of open sea
3. (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) (of geological formations) derived from material that has fallen to the bottom from the upper waters of the sea
[from Latin pelagicus, from pelagus, from Greek pelagos sea]
| pelagic (p-ljk) Relating to or living in or on oceanic waters. The pelagic zone of the ocean begins at the low tide mark and includes the entire oceanic water column. The pelagic ecosystem is largely dependent on the phytoplankton inhabiting the upper, sunlit regions, where most ocean organisms live. Biodiversity decreases sharply in the unlit zones where water pressure is high, temperatures are cold, and food sources scarce. Pelagic waters are divided, in descending order, into the epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, abyssopelagic, and hadopelagic zones. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Adj. | 1. | pelagic - relating to or occurring or living in or frequenting the open ocean; "oceanic islands like Bermuda"; "oceanic currents"; "oceanic birds"; "pelagic organisms"; "pelagic whaling" |
Translations
pelagic [pɛˈlædʒɪk] adj → pelagico/a
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|